Danny Davis: “I rise in support of H.R. 3201, the Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site Study Act. Carter G. Woodson, a son of…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 3201, the Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site Study Act. Carter G. Woodson, a son of former slaves who worked in the mines and quarries until the age of 20, who matriculated at Berea College and received his MA in history from the University of Chicago and his doctorate in history in 1912 from Harvard. Carter G. Woodson is generally recognized as the Father of Negro History because of his quest to open the long-neglected field of African American history. His thirst for life and quest for truth institutionalized the study of Afro-American and African societies and cultures in the United States. Among his notable accomplishments are: Negro History Week, which was instituted in 1926 and has since evolved into Black History Month; the widely consulted college text 'The Negro in Our History', and the Associated Publishers, a publishing outlet to bring out books on black life and culture. Yet despite these towering achievements, there is at present no suitable memorial for Carter G. Woodson. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I heartily support the idea of designating the Carter G. Woodson home in Washington, DC, as a national historic site. To do so recognizes the great debt we owe this important founding father of Afro-American scholarship.”